William Astel and the Death Eater's Revenge
by Henryjh98
Summary: William Astel is a British boy, the great-grandson of Harry Potter about to leave for Hogwarts. But when he gets there, a plot to take down the wizarding world form inside the school shocks him. It will leave the readers begging for more with the suspence, action, and magic that is in the original Harry Potter series. Check out for more about William Astel and his adventures!
1. The Letter

Chapter One  
The Letter

"William!" cried Mrs. Astel. "Get up!"  
William sat up in bed and yawned. His brown hair was very untidy at the moment, sticking out in all angles. He slithered out of bed and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.  
A buffet of bacon, waffle, and fruit sat on the table. Delicious smells wafted from the food and into William's nose. His sister and twin brothers already sat around the table. His mother, Mrs. Astel, was standing at the counter, cleaning up with the help of magic.  
"Where's Dad?" asked William.  
"Oh, he had to stay late at work," Mrs. Astel explained. "He'll be home very shortly."  
William's father worked at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. William nodded and took a seat at the table.  
"James, could you please pass the syrup?" he asked.  
James smiled slyly and handed William the syrup. William reached out, but James quickly pulled his hand away and held the syrup to his chest. "James!" cried William. "Please give me the syrup!"  
"No, no, it's okay, Will," said James. "I'll just keep it for myself."  
Bartholomew snickered. William stood up and grabbed the glass bottle from his nine year-old brother and scowled, stomping back to his chair. He poured some of the thick maple syrup onto his waffle and then ate it.  
Ginny took a bite of her strawberry and then looked at her mother. "Mum, what's the date today?"  
"July 29th," Mrs. Astel replied. "Why?"  
Ginny squealed and said, "Because I leave for Hogwarts in thirty-three days!"  
All of the sudden, a hoot rang outside the open porch window and a Great-horned owl soared through, an envelope in its beak. It sailed over the table and dropped the envelope on William's lap.  
"What is it, Will?" asked Barty curiously.  
"I don't know."  
William looked at the seal on the envelope. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He stood up happily. "It's a letter from Hogwarts!"  
The family clustered around William as he opened the envelope. His eyes darted back and forth across the page as he read. "Order of Merlin. . . Minerva McGonagall. . . Dear William Astel, we are pleased to inform you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all nessecary books and equipment. Term begins September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st. Yours sincerely, Neville Longbottom, Deputy Headmaster." Will turned to face his family. "I'm going to Hogwarts!"  
Mrs. Astel put her hand over her heart and gave a sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think the letter would never arrive."  
Ginny grabbed William's shoulder. "You'll love Hogwarts," she said. "I'll show you around and I'll even give you the names of all the spells you learn in your first year!"  
"Awesome!"  
The door slammed open and Mr. Astel stomped in, furious and impatient.  
"How was work?" Mrs. Astel cautiously asked.  
Mr. Astel scowled. "A crazy young magician let a wild hippogriff loose in the middle of London! For _three hours _it flew around and terrorized the citizens. It stole a woman's purse and knocked her unconscious with it."  
"That's horrible!" James exclaimed. "Why would anyone do such a thing?"  
William rolled his eyes and looked crossly at his younger brother. James and Barty wouldn't hesitate to do something like that.  
Mr. Astel continued. "Finally, five of us magicians subdued the hippogriff and caught it. Twenty others were rushing about the city, modifying the memories of everyone who had witnessed it, which was a load of people. It took three hours to track everyone down and modify their memories. That magician will be facing two years in Azkaban."  
"What about the hippogriff?" Ginny asked nervously. "Will you kill it?"  
"No, no," said Mr. Astel, shaking his head. "We have already decided to send it to the Transylvanian Sanctuary for Dangerous and Endangered Magical Creatures. It'll be a much better place for the hippogriff."  
"That sounds like a fascinating place!" exclaimed Ginny. "I think I would love to work there!"  
Mr. Astel chuckled. "And I think it would be the perfect place for you."  
Mrs. Astel placed her hand on Mr. Astel's shoulder. "Honey," she began, "William has been accepted into Hogwarts."  
Mr. Astel turned excitedly to William. "Fantastic!" he cried. "That's the best news I've had all day! That's amazing. We must go to Diagon Alley and return the letter."  
William beamed. He was going to be a wizard soon. Barely containing his excitement, he strode out of the room and walked towards the stairs. "I'm going to go bathe," he said. "I can't wait till September 1st!"  
His parents were putting together his confirmation letter while he danced about in his room, overdosed with glee.


	2. Floo Travel

Chapter Two  
Floo Travel

The next month flew by like a broomstick ride across a lake. In what seemed like just a few hours, William was standing with his family in front of their fireplace. A bucket of Floo powder sat on the empty hearth, looking forlorn and battered.  
William gulped. He'd never traveled by Floo powder before and was nervous. Would it hurt? What if he ended up in the wrong place? Did the fire burn? He had no idea what to expect, since it was his first time ever using the magic soot.  
"Ginny, why don't you go first?" Mrs. Astel instructed.  
"Sure, Mum," Ginny replied. She crouched into the fireplace and took a handful of the black Floo powder. She breathed in and then closed her eyes. With a quick flick of her hand she released the black powder and it sprinkled to the ground like rain. "Diagon Alley!" cried Ginny.  
A swarm of green flames sparked up from the powder and surrounded Ginny's body quickly, its tongues licking her fiercely. William stared out in awe, for Floo powder always amazed him. The fire quickly died down and Ginny was gone. She had disappeared.  
Mrs. Astel nodded at Mr. Astel. "Go get her, George," she said.  
"Okay," said Mr. Astel before stepping onto the hearth. He threw down the powder and vanished after shouting his destination. A small wisp of smoke curled up the chimney after the fire settled. The remaining powder drifted down and began to form a pile on the stone hearth.  
Mrs. Astel touched William's back. "Come along now, honey," she said. "You should go before I do, so you won't have any trouble getting to Diagon Alley."  
William gulped and nodded, shakily stepping into the fireplace. His foot brushed against the soot and he flinched for a moment.  
"Oh, Will, settle down!" cried Barty.  
"Shut it!" William snapped back. "This is gonna be your first time to, but you'll be traveling with Mum!"  
"Stop fighting boys!" Mrs. Astel barked.  
William scowled and bent down to pick up the bucket. He grabbed a handful of the powder and looked at his mum for assurance. "So I throw it on the ground and shout Diagon Alley, yeah?"  
Mrs. Astel nodded. "Speak clearly or it might send you to the wrong place. Your great-grandfather, Harry Potter, told us the story of how he was going to Diagon Alley but shouted it unclearly and ended up in Knockturn Alley."  
William ignored her and breathed in. That was a mistake. Soot got up in his nose and he sneezed. "Ah-choo!" More soot flew everywhere, settling outside of the fireplace. "Sorry," William mumbled.  
The Floo powder was still in his hands, so he chucked it to the ground and shouted, "Diagon Alley!"  
Emerald green fires sprang up and wrapped around William, but felt like nothing, just feathers tickling you. He looked around and saw fireplaces streaming past him, but none were familiar. What was going on? Suddenly, a wave a nausea passed over him and he felt like he was going to be sick. Then everything stopped and he slid out of a fireplace and onto a cobblestone ground.  
Mr. Astel and Ginny crouched beside him. "How was your first time with Floo powder?" his sister asked.  
"Different," replied William.  
Ginny and Mr. Astel laughed. "Well, at least you made it through okay."  
William smiled and looked around. He was in a tavern, probably the Leaky Cauldron. He wanted to explore, but Mr. Astel grabbed his ankle and pulled him through a hole in the wall.  
Diagon Alley stretched out before him. It was amazing. Dozens of witches and wizards in cloaks and other stranger garb shuffled around, bustling to get supplies. Kids William's age and younger ran around, admiring things in the glass windows of the shops. And way at the end of the street was a huge marble building. Gringotts bank, the wizarding bank run by goblins.  
"Dad?" asked Ginny, "can we go to Weasley Wizard's Wheezes?"  
Mr. Astel chuckled. "Maybe, if you behave and if we have extra time."  
"Why aren't we waiting for Mum?" asked William.  
"Before you arrived, she sent a short note that said Barty had gotten sick and he wanted to stay home, so she is going to stay with him," Mr. Astel explained.  
William smiled at Ginny. "He was probably just scared about traveling with Floo powder."  
Ginny laughed as the trio headed towards Flourish and Blotts to get some books.


	3. Choosing the Wand

Chapter Three  
Choosing the Wand

William Astel walked out of Flourish and Blotts with all the books he needed for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They headed towards Ollivander's to get a wand. William walked into the shop and thought it was dark and dusty.  
"Ah," said Mr. Ollivander, coming out of the back. He was an extremely old and wrinkled man, a bit hunched over and looked tired. "A descendant of Harry Potter, I see."  
William nodded, a little flustered. How could this old codger know who his descendants were.  
"Harry had an especially unusual wand. Something was quite unique about it," the old man went on. He turned and saw Mr. Astel and Ginny. "Ah, George and Ginny Astel," he greeted. "George, ten and one half-inch, willow, unicorn tail hair, rather flexible. And Ginny, I sold to you a wand that was twelve inches long, chestnut, and dragon heartstring. Great for hexes and jinxes." Mr. Ollivander winked and then looked at William. "You will have a very unusual wand, just like your great-grandsire. I can sense it already. Now, let me go get your first attempt at a wand."  
The old man rushed off into the shelves and began to rummage through the boxes. William leaned into his dad. "How old is he?"  
Mr. Astel shrugged. "He is probably one hundred thirty or forty years. He has lived a long, long life full of wands. It is probably all the magic around him that keeps him alive."  
William laughed quietly as Mr. Ollivander walked back to the desk at the front of the room. "Here you go, young lad," he said. "This wand is a beauty and very good for charm work. Swishy, willow, with unicorn tail hair. Seven and three quarter inches long."  
William gingerly grabbed the wand. He held it up and then looked at Mr. Ollivander.  
"Go ahead, wave it," the wandmaker instructed.  
William obliged and waved the wand. A wind rushed into the room and knocked over a lamp, causing the glass bulb to shatter. Mr. Ollivander leapt back, shaking his head. "Definitely not that one."  
He disappeared and brought out three other boxes.  
"This one is good for hexing and jinxes, like Ginny's wand," he said. "It is made of hickory and thirteen inches long. Very stiff, so charms won't work super well. Dragon heartstring is the core. Give it a wave and see what happens."  
William took it. The wand felt uncomfortable in his hand but he decided to give it a try. Nothing happened. He waved it again, this time more fierce, but yet again, nothing happened. Mr. Ollivander raised an eyebrow as he took the wand away. "Hmm, not a suitable wand for you."  
He shoved it back into its box and put it next to the box of the first one.  
"Now, let's try this one," he said, pulling out a third wand. "It is made from a sequoia tree, all the way in America. Very sturdy, and is best for defense. The core is phoenix feather and it is ten and a half inches long."  
Mr. Ollivander stuck the wand out to William and William took it, waving it right away. A spark flew out and set fire to the drapes hanging over the windows. Mr. Ollivander drew his wand with amazing dexterity for one of his age. "_Aguamenti_!" he cried, waving his wand. A jet of water flew out of the tip of his wand and put out the fire immediately.  
Mr. Ollivander turned back to William with an odd smile on his face. He chuckled and then muttered, "That wand is definitely not for you."  
William smiled and took the fourth wand out of its box.

An hour later, William had gone through eighteen wands yet none of them had been suited for him. He'd broken the door, accidentally shaved off Mr. Astel's hair, snapped a chair in half, and blown papers all over the shop. Many other wands had produced nothing or small sparks and sizzles.  
Mr. Ollivander came out with one box and pulled out a beautiful wand. "Eleven and three quarter inches," he began, "made of holly and good for many spells. Phoenix feather for the core and is very, very like Harry Potter's first wand. I hope it would work, since he was your relative."  
"You think it will really work?" asked Mr. Astel. "I'm worried that no wand in the entire shop will work."  
Mr. Ollivander stared at Mr. Astel sternly. "Patience, George," he said. "The wand chooses the wizard and sometimes it takes a while."  
Mr. Astel nodded and then beckoned for William to take the wand. William swiftly picked it up and then waved it. To his surprise, a jet of silver slithered out and took the form of the moon. It shone brightly for three moments, before flickering and vanishing. Mr. Ollivander stood rooted to the ground in shock.  
After several moments he murmured, "My golly. A Lupan Sign."  
William raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"  
Mr. Ollivander looked at William. "It is a very rare, very mysterious sign of a wand selecting its wizard. It has happened only thrice since 1797. A Lupan Sign indicates a very powerful wand choosing a very, very powerful wizard."  
The words sank in and William's eyes widened in shock. He didn't realize that he was going to be a powerful wizard, destine for great things and his life would change entirely in just a couple months. After several silent minutes, Mr. Astel paid for the wand and they went out to go get the rest of the supplies.


	4. Hedwig II

Chapter Four  
Hedwig II

William stood in the middle of Diagon Alley with his supplies for the school year. However, the one thing he still wanted was not with him. He wanted a pet, more specifically an owl. His sister Ginny had one, a barn owl named Jamby, and there was the family owl Mittere, a great horned owl. But he wanted his own because some owls could be the best companions you would ever find.  
Mr. Astel walked up to William and smiled. "Hey son," he said. "You know, I have a present for you that I have wanted to get you for a while, but you were too young."  
William brightened up. What could it be? An owl? No, it could not possibly be an owl. But still he was excited. But then, all of the sudden, he couldn't see anything. Yelping, William reached his hand up and felt around his eyes. There was a fabric, so someone was blinding him for a reason.  
"I don't want to spoil the surprise, Willy," Mr. Astel chuckled. "But there is nothing that will harm you."  
"Okay," William said. "I was just shocked at first."  
Mr. Astel touched his son's shoulders and began to guide him through Diagon Alley. William wondered how ridiculous he looked and if people were looking at him funny. He didn't know, obviously, since he was blinded by some fabric.  
Mr. Astel took his hands off of William's shoulders and William heard him open a door. It was definitely a shop, so the chances of William getting an owl grew higher. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard hooting and screeching.  
"Go ahead and take the blinder off, Ginny," instructed Mr. Astel.  
Light flooded into William's eyes and he had to squint so his pupils could adjust. A moment later, he looked about and saw that he was in Eeylop's Owl Emporium. Dozens of owls of all kind stood in cages, and some where even flying about. William looked on in awe and wonder. It was amazing. He looked expectantly at his father.  
"Take your pick, William," he said, smiling.  
William dashed off and began inspecting all the owls. They were all extremely interesting, but only four had stuck out to him out of dozens. Two barn owls, a great horned owl, and an eagle owl seemed captivating to him, but one of the barn owls was missing an eye and that sort of bothered him. He kept looking and his eyes fell upon a snowy owl sitting quietly in a cage in the corner. It was fairly big and appeared to be female, with tons of black and dark grey flecks on its body.  
"Who could you be?" William asked, sticking a finger into the cage.  
The owl cocked its head and then lightly nipped William's finger. William laughed and beckoned his dad over. "Father, I want this snowy owl, please."  
Fifteen minutes later, the trio emerged from the emporium, the snowy owl on William's wrist. However he couldn't think of a name.  
"Why don't you name her Astrid?" asked Ginny, licking her raspberry and chocolate chip ice cream with peanuts. "That's a good name."  
"Nah," William said. "I don't like that."  
Mr. Astel looked at William. "Your great-grandfather, Harry Potter, had an owl very dear to him. She stayed with him for a long time. Her name was Hedwig."  
At the sound of Hedwig, the owl looked up. William noticed it. "I think she likes the name Hedwig," he said. "Why don't I call her Hedwig II?"  
Mr. Astel nodded. "Good choice, William. I'm sure that she likes it, and I know that Hedwig I was a snowy owl, too."  
Hedwig hopped onto William's arm and pecked at some of his ice cream. William laughed. "She likes ice cream, I guess."  
Ginny and Mr. Astel laughed along with him. Five minutes later, they stood up and began to walk back to the Leaky Cauldron. A crowd of kids were gathered around a shop, looking into the window. William looked at the sign and saw that it was Quality Quidditch Supplies. He walked over and heard the kids talking excitedly about the broomstick on display.  
"It's the Lightning Strike 300!" one kid cried.  
"The fastest broom ever!" another said.  
"It goes twice as fast as the first model of the Lightning Strike!"exclaimed a third kid.  
"Wow!" said William. "It's amazing!"  
The broomstick was a reddish-gold color with delicate, perfect twigs protruding from the back. They were tinged with golden flecks to make it appear like lightning, and the broom was bent at an angle in which it resembled a lightning bolt. At the end of the broom was a lightning bolt and then, carved in beautiful calligraphy, Lightning Strike 300.  
"That must cost a fortune!" said Ginny as they walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron. "Imagine having it!"  
"Well, since neither of you play Quidditch, I don't think you'll ever know what it is like to own such a broomstick," Mr. Astel commented.  
"Well, we'll use it to travel sometime in our life," Ginny pointed out.  
"I'm going to make the Quidditch team this year!" exclaimed William proudly. And he meant it. William was going to try out for the Quidditch team for whatever house he was sorted into.  
Mr. Astel chuckled and shook his head. "You won't make it, and first years are not allowed to play it unless under very, very special circumstances."  
Ginny tugged on her father's sleeve. "Father, didn't you hear? Hogwarts is officially starting a Quidditch team for the first years. There will be eight Quidditch teams this year!"  
"Really?"  
"Yes, I read it in the _Daily Prophet_ this morning."  
"Well then, William, I owe you an apology," Mr. Astel said. "You might be making the Quidditch team after all!"  
"Awesome!" William cried as they stepped into the Leaky Cauldron. They headed towards the Floo Powder Hearths and headed back home before heading to Platform Nine and Three Quarters the next day.


	5. At Platform 9 34

Chapter Five  
At Platform 9 ¾

William stood outside of King's Cross Station, with a trolley loaded with supplies in front of him. His trunk took up the bulk of the space, but he also had a two smaller suitcases holding extra articles of clothing like socks and undergarments. On top of it all was a cage holding Hedwig inside.  
"Aren't you so excited, William?" asked Ginny, nudging him with his elbow. "It'll be great at Hogwarts."  
William nodded, but he was nervous. What if he didn't get into Gryffindor? What if he was sorted in Slytherin? "Wh-what if I don't get sorted into Gryffindor?" he wondered aloud, suddenly regretting it.  
Ginny looked at him awkwardly and then shuffled a little farther away. She was obviously trying to prevent herself from saying something that would just make her brother feel worse.  
"Oh, William," said Mrs. Astel. "Don't worry."  
"But what if I am sorted into Hufflepuff. . . or, or Slytherin?" he continued. "I don't want to be in either of those houses."  
"Whatever house you get sorted into, William, we will be proud of you," Mr. Astel.  
"It'll be okay, big bro," Barty told William.  
"And listen to this, William," Mrs. Astel said. "Your family has a long line of Gryffindors. I was in Gryffindor. Your father was in Gryffindor. Ginny was in Gryffindor. My father was in Gryffindor. Your great-grandfather, your great-grandmother, your uncles and aunts, your great-uncles and aunts, your cousins, all of them have been in Gryffindor. The Weasley family, who Harry Potter married into, all of them were in Gryffindor. Chances are, you will be sorted into Gryffindor."  
William nodded and felt a little better. His entire family had been in Gryffindor for a long, long time. He nodded again and then turned and started to push his trolley. The Astel family weaved their way in and out of the crowds at King's Cross Station and headed towards Platform 9.  
"Okay, William," Mr. Astel instructed, "just walk through the column right there and you'll come out in Platform 9 ¾ on the other side. Wait for us and we will see you onto the train. But don't fear hitting the wall, for it will not happen."  
"Okay, Father," William said. "Should I go first?"  
"Yes, William," Mrs. Astel replied. "That'll be a good idea."  
"Excuse me!" The shout came from somewhere behind William. "Excuse me!"  
William turned around and saw a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes quickly walking towards him and his family. He was pushing a trolley in front of him, loaded with many of the same thing as William, including a tawny owl. "Excuse me, but how do you get—"  
"Onto Platform 9 ¾ for the train?" Ginny interrupted.  
The boy nodded. "I'm a Muggle," he said. "Or I was," he added, stuttering. "No, I've always been a wizard just with Muggles. But my father got sick just a few minutes ago and my mother had to take him to the hospital."  
"Well, dear," began Mrs. Astel, "you just set off at a light jog and go right through the column and you'll end up at the platform. But we better hurry; there is only ten minutes till the Express takes off from the station. William, go."  
William nodded and ran forward towards the platform. He'd seen people do it a lot, but it was much easier to watch then to do it. He want to stop so he didn't run into it, but he had to keep going. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by rocks and a reddish tinge and then a moment later, he was on a train platform with tons of people bustling about and waving goodbye to the people in the train.  
"Amazing, isn't it?"  
William spun around and saw Ginny standing behind him. A second later, Barty and James appeared with Mrs. Astel at their heels. Then the strange boy came out and looked around in awe. "Wow," he said. "Magic is awesome!"  
Mr. Astel came out last and patted William on the back. "Let's get you on the train now."  
Three minutes later, William's entire luggage was loaded into his train cart and he was sitting alone in a cart. He wasn't sure who to sit with, so he'd found what seemed to be the only empty cart on the entire train and taken it.  
_PHOOT! PHOOT! _  
The train whistled and the wheels started to roll. William rushed to the window and hung his head out, waving at his family out on the platform. "Bye, Mum and Dad!" he cried. "Bye, James and Barty!"  
The waved back and Mr. Astel cried, "Write us every week!"  
William nodded and slipped his head back into the cart as the train rolled out of the station. He sat back down and looked around the cart. There wasn't anything very interesting about, just two benches and some cubbies for luggage.  
"Mind if I sit here?"  
William jumped at the voice and then turned to look at the door. The boy from the station had materialized right there, at the door. The boy laughed and slid in without waiting for a response. "Sorry for startling you," he said.  
"No, no it's fine," William stuttered. "I just didn't realize you were there."  
"My name is John, John Crafton."  
John stuck out his hand and William took it, shaking it for three long seconds. "So, you are a Muggleborn, yeah?"  
John nodded. "Correct."  
"My whole family has magic. It's been like that for a long time. My family goes way back to Harry Potter."  
"Harry Potter!" exclaimed John. "I know that name. I've read about his adventures! That is so cool that you are related to him."  
William smiled. "That's cool."  
For a long while, they were silent and both stared out the window as the city began to slowly fade into countryside.


	6. On the Hogwarts Express

Chapter 6  
On the Hogwarts Express

William heard some people bustle past his compartment and he looked out the door. A second later, a shrill screech rang throughout the corridor. "Gerald Weasley!" a feminine voice cried.  
William looked down the corridor and saw three people, two of them having orange hair. He smiled, knowing they were his distant relatives, the Weasleys.  
"How could you do that to Zach?" the girl, Mary Weasley cried. "You hexed him with the Toe-nail Growth Hex! His. . . Gah, that is just disgusting!"  
Curious, William walked over. "What's going on?" he asked.  
Gerald and Mary both looked at him. It was obvious Gerald was trying to stifle laughter as to not anger Mary any further. Mary smiled halfheartedly at William and greeted, "Hey, William. Gerald just hexed Zach Abbot, a first year, with the Toe-nail Growth Hex."  
William smiled, but Mary shot him a dark look. "Sorry, just thinking of a funny memory," he lied.  
Mary crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "But now Gerald is going to be in _loads _of trouble. At least it isn't his first year."  
"I told you, Zach was talking smack about my. . . " he trailed off, smiling. "Ha, Zach was talking smack! Hilarious!"  
Mary shot another dark look, this time at Gerald and Gerald continued. "Zach was talking smack," he snickered, "about my second-hand clothing and I got mad, so I shot the hex at him and now his toe nails are growing."  
"Hey, look man!" Zach cried, holding his feet. "I told you I am sorry! Just get my nails to stop growing!"  
William looked down at Zach's toes and saw that the nails were steadily growing, already about on foot long. He stifled a laugh and then looked at Mary.  
"What can you do to make it stop?"  
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I can go talk to the conductor or get the nurse."  
Gerald gave a dumb-face expression. "Ah, a genius idea! Go talk to the nurse. I don't know, maybe she can _magically _make his toenails stop growing and then clip them! I could never have thought of something that great!" He rolled his eyes and snorted.  
Mary's face turned red and she drew her wand. "_Tarantallegra_!" she cried at the precise moment Gerald stood up. Gerald looked down at his legs in shock as they began to dance uncontrollably. He shuffled around the hall, trying to stop himself, to no avail.  
"Make it stop!" he cried. "Make it stop!"  
Heads were now poking out of compartments, laughing and pointing at Gerald, who had just done a flip. His face was red and he looked appalled as he uncontrollably danced around the room. Zach began to scream as his toenails reached two feet and were curling around the ground. Tears streamed down his face and Mary was staring in confusion and shock.  
People flooded into the hallway as they watched the entertainment go on. John Crafton slid up next to William and looked out with a smile on his face. "What's going on?"  
William smiled. "It involves a Toe-nail Growth hex, a funny face, rude comments, and a very angry Weasley girl."  
People began to clap and cheer, laughing loudly. But then the door to the train car slid open and another redheaded boy walked in. William rolled his eyes and sighed. Samuel Weasley, a bossy, stuck-up, know-it-all kind of kid who was a Hogwarts prefect. Just great.  
As people noticed him come in, they began to panic and rushed back to their compartments to hide from the bossy prefect. Only a few people stayed, including the three involved, William, John, and a few other daring kids who wanted to see the results.  
"Mary, Gerald, what is going on?" Samuel ordered.  
Mary opened her mouth, but Gerald started to talk, though it was hard to understand him. What it sounded like was, "Meleegs fulfunny. I Cansoap darn zebras. Plizza stopee, Sham wow."  
William and John laughed, but Samuel gave them dark looks and they quieted. Now, what Gerald meant to say was, "My legs feel funny. I can't stop dancing. Please stop me, Samuel."  
Samuel raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"  
Gerald opened his mouth to repeat it, but Samuel drew his hand and said, "_Petrificus Totalus_!" Gerald froze and Samuel shrugged. "Sorry, Jerry, but that was just not appropriate for the Hogwarts Express."  
William growled silently and wanted to punch Samuel, but he'd probably get a detention for it even though he hadn't even started school.  
"Everyone out!" roared Samuel. "Now!"  
All the people in the hallway began to scurry out, except for Gerald of course, since he was petrified. But Samuel grabbed onto Mary and Zach and pulled them back. "You two stay out here."  
Raising his eyebrows, William and John walked back into their compartment. William plopped down on a bench as John slid the door closed and blocked the glass with the curtains. He turned to William and smiled. "I don't want to see any of the violent crimes about to take place," he said with a laugh.  
William chuckled and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Samuel can be a real pain in the butt."  
John nodded and stayed silent for a couple minutes. "So, what is your wand like?" he asked eventually.  
Rummaging through his cloak pockets, William drew his wand and waved it in the air. "Eleven and three quarters inch. Holly with a phoenix feather core. What about yours?"  
John took his out of his bag and held it delicately. "It's nine and one fourth inches, with dragon heartstring and made of oak. Good for hexes and jinxes, I think."  
"Glad I'm not your enemy."  
John's eyes twinkled deviously. "Yet."  
William laughed out loud. "Yet," he repeated.

Several hours later, the trolley came around and William bought loads of candy and pastries for him and John to share. At about 7:00 in the evening, prefects started coming around and telling everyone to get into their robes for school. William had already put his on and John was in the process of it when a girl from Hufflepuff had come around to tell them. She had smiled and laughed, leaving John embarrassed and red-faced.  
Then, around 8:14, the train rolled around a bend and the village of Hogsmeade came into view. "Wow!" said William. "Look at the town. It's amazing!"  
John smiled and crawled to the window. "Hogsmeade, the only all wizard town left in Britain. It's amazing!"  
People in cloaks and robes were lined up outside the station, waving and looking at the new arrivals and excited to see familiar faces. William saw a hulking figure towering above everyone else, and he assumed it was Hagrid, the gatekeeper of Hogwarts. Although he was now in his hundreds, the half-giant seemed fit and ready to go.  
The train rolled to a stop and John and William bounced out of the train with the other students, creating a river of black robes in the lantern-lit night. Friends embraced friends and everyone seemed happy. Better yet, the call that he had been waiting for drowned out all the other noise.  
"First years this way!" cried Hagrid. "First years with me! Come with me! First years over here!"  
They followed Hagrid, all of them. There seemed to be about one hundred wizards and witches in all heading towards the lake from which they would sail to the castle. William beamed as he got into a boat with Hagrid, John, a boy named Gangin, and a girl named Angela. He was finally here, finally at Hogwarts.


	7. The Sorting Hat

Chapter Seven  
The Sorting Hat

William's boat moved along steadily, leading all the others to their destination at Hogwarts castle. "Now, 'round this here bend, you' be able ter see the castle!" Hagrid announced.  
The boats curved around a bend in the shore and a great, magnificent castle loomed above the water, shining brightly in the night. People gave "ooohs" and "ahhhs" of delight at the sight, for it truly was beautiful. Spires and towers dominated the skyline, and a huge Great Hall could be seen to the right.  
"I can't wait to get into there!" William exclaimed.  
"Agreed," said John. "The roof of the Great Hall is bewitched to look like the sky and candles float high in the room, bringing light to the feasting. The teachers sit on a raised platform so they can watch carefully over the students and be seen as examples and role models."  
All four other people in the boat stared at him. "My, yer got quite the Hogwarts educatio', don't yer, John?" Hagrid bellowed.  
John blushed and the girl sitting with them on the boat puffed. "Well, I come from an all wizarding family and I still don't know that much about Hogwarts," she said. "That is interesting, John."  
"Thanks," John replied.  
"My name is Angela, by the way," she introduced. "Angela Wood."  
"I'm John Crafton."  
"I'm William Astel."  
"And I'm Gangin Longbottom," the boy at the back of the boat said. "My great-grandfather works here, Neville Longbottom. He is the Herbology teacher and the deputy headmaster of the school. But I'll never be like that. He is so brave and powerful. Professor Longbottom helped to take down Voldemort. I'm never going to be that powerful."  
"Nice history lesson," moaned Angela.  
Everyone was quiet for the rest of the way into the castle. The boats sailed into a cavern disguised by long drapes of ivy and they docked their boats on a pebbly beach. Hagrid dragged them all onto shore and they began to walk up a long flight of stairs. Finally, they were lead around to a pair of huge, oak doors in a great courtyard.  
Hagrid boomed his giants fists on the door. "It's me, Hagrid, here with the firs' years!" he cried.  
The doors slid open and an old man with gray hair and a pointy green hat stood there. "Welcome to Hogwarts, young witches and wizards. I am Professor Longbottom, deputy Headmaster and professor of Herbology here at Hogwarts," he continued as he led them around to in front of more doors, probably leading to the Great Hall.  
"The start-of-term banquet will begin soon, but first you must all be sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts; Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Each house has great history and has produced great witches and wizards over a thousand years. The house cup tournament will take place, in which we will grant you points on good deeds and take away points on bad deeds. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be crowned victor, which is a great honor for that house. I hope that you will all be great for the house in which you are sorted into.  
"Now, smarten yourselves up in preparation for the sorting."  
Nervous whispers started to pervade among the young students. "What is the sorting?" John asked.  
"I think you have to pass a test," said Angela.  
"No, you have to fight each other," challenged Gangrin. "But I don't know any spells!"  
"My sister says it is really hard," William gulped.  
They all threw out more ideas and then Professor Longbottom returned. "Form two lines and follow me into the Great Hall."  
The one hundred-so students obliged and then they all made their way into the Great Hall. The huge doors swung open, revealing a grand room with four, long tables filled with students. Thousands upon thousands of candles floated in the air, bringing light all around.  
"This way," Professor Longbottom ordered, leading the first years down the space between the two middle tables. Eyes from all houses watched them and William gulped. Would they have to do the test in front of the whole school? That made him shudder.  
Then Professor Longbottom stopped and walked up onto the platform at which the teachers and professors were sitting. He stood next to a stool and held a scroll in his hands. On top of the stool was a tattered old hat, disgusting and repulsive.  
Murmurs of confusion spread throughout the, but everyone stopped short when the hat made a noise. "I am the Sorting Hat. Try me on and find your true house." Then the hat launched into song.  
John breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said. "All we have to do is to try on the hat!"  
"Yeah," William said. "I was really worried."  
A couple minutes later, the song ended and the hat just sat silently on the stool. Professor Longbottom cleared his throat and then began to talk, "You shall try on the hat and it will decide your house. Now, when I call your name, step forward."  
All the first years shuffled nervously. They were still anxious about getting into certain houses. Professor Longbottom unrolled his scroll and said the first name. "Aarons, Maxwell!"  
The boy walked up to the hat gingerly and sat on the stool. Professor Longbottom placed it on Maxwell's head and after a couple moments, the hat roared, "HUFFLEPUFF!"  
The Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers as Maxwell ran over to them, relieved. It appeared he wanted to be in Hufflepuff. He took a place at the table and turned his head to watch the rest of the Sorting.  
"Abbot, Zachary!"  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
"Acort, Patrick!"  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
"Adamson, Connor!"  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
"Apple, Susan!"  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
William gulped. He didn't realize there would be so many people in front of him. He was starting to get nervous.  
"Arderk, Cathy!"  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
"Astel, William!"  
William sighed, nervous and relieved. He gingerly walked up to the stool and sat on it. Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head and the hat sighed.  
"Hmm," it said. "You could be destined for any of the four houses. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Gryffindor. But yet, something tells me one would suit you the best."  
"Anywhere but Slytherin," pleaded William quietly.  
"You don't want Slytherin?" it asked loudly, for everyone to hear. "Are you sure? You could become a great wizard in that house. But, I think your destiny lies somewhere else. How about, GRYFFINDOR!"  
William smiled widely. He had gotten into the house his family had been in for generations. He waited till Professor Longbottom took off the hat and then he rushed to the loudly clapping, cheering, and hollering Gryffindor table, sliding right in next to Ginny and across from Gerald.  
"Nice job," Ginny said, smiling. She squeezed his arm and then turned her attention back to the Sorting.  
Several more people went by, none of which who went to Gryffindor. Finally, John's name was called and the hat was only on his head for a couple of moments when it roared, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers and William stood, clapping loudest of all. John ran to the table and sat down next to William. "We're in the same house!" he cried.  
"Yes!" William replied. "It'll be awesome!"  
They turned and watched the rest of the Sorting. A first year boy, Scorpius Malorm, stuck out to William a lot. The hat barely touched his head and then called, "SLYTHERIN!" But the boy, who calmly walked to his cheering house, didn't have a look of happiness, joy, or relief in his eyes. They brightly shone with success and something that seemed to say, "This is only getting started." It made William feel sick and he turned away.  
Finally, in the end, twenty-three people exactly had been sorted into Gryffindor. There were ten boys and thirteen girls, which was much larger than the previous year. There were only eighteen second years in Gryffindor. Hogwarts, however, was a growing school.  
A great feast took place right after the Sorting and food magically appeared on the table. There were tons of delicious foods and William and John stuffed themselves, before sitting back and groaning at how full they were. And then, in the last few minutes, Professor McGonagall stood and began to talk over the entire school.  
"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" she cried. "May we have a good and happy time here at the school, and let none of us get into trouble. Now, at your own favorite tune, let us all join in the Hogwarts anthem."  
And the school busted off into signing a song, all at various pitches, loudness, beat, and pace.  
_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
__Teach us something please,  
__Whether we be old and bald,  
__Or young with scabby knees  
__Our heads could do with filling,  
__With some interesting stuff,  
__For now they're bare and full of air,  
__Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
__So teach us things worth knowing,  
__Bring back what we've forgot,  
__Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
__And learn until our brains all rot._

Everyone finished long after one another, ending with a trio of fourth years in Gryffindor finishing two minutes after everyone else at an opera pitch. The whole school erupted into applause and then they began to shuffle out of the Great Hall.  
"Gryffindors with me!" cried a prefect. "Gryffindors over here!"  
William, John, and the other eight Gryffindor boys wandered off to the prefect and they began to head up the stairs. They walked out of the Great Hall and into the entrance hall before climbing some more stairs. At the summit of the flight of stairs, they reached a room filled with staircases that were shifting and turning at random.  
The prefect led the group of Gryffindor's onto the stairs and the last person, out of all thirty or so, barely made it on before the stairs shifted and came to another landing. The group quickly scampered up and headed up another flight of stairs. John and William had to keep up so they didn't fall behind and get lost on their first night.  
After seven grueling stories climbed and several close calls, the prefect lead William, John, and the others down a short hallway where a painting of a fat lady sat, an Italian town in the background. She was holding a glass of wine and talking with a friend. When her lazy eyes fell upon the group of students, she hastily put the wine glasses away and her friend disappeared into another painting.  
"Password?" she asked.  
"Scufferdidubbet," the prefect said loud and clearly. "Now, remember, all you, that Scufferdidubbet is the password until changed, so keep that in mind."  
The picture swung open, revealing a circular hole in the wall. Entranced, William and John followed the rest of the crowd into the room, which was full of at least twenty sqaushy armchairs, six fluffy couches, several tables, a couple bookcases, and some tables.  
William Astel had made it into Gryffindor Common Room.


	8. Premier of Potions

Chapter Eight  
Premier of Potions

William looked around at the common room in awe. It was amazing! On the back wall, there were two spiral staircases that lead to the dormitories for the students.  
"Boys on the right, girls on the left," said the prefect. "Now, first years, off to bed. You'll find your rooms on the third landing."  
There was a short scramble to get to the stairs first and check out the rooms. William and John jogged up the stairs, winding around until they reached the Gryffindor boys' dormitory for first years. There was a door about ten feet in on the landing, but otherwise the stairs continued on their way up.  
William opened the door and entered a large, circular room with ten four poster beds sitting like the spokes on a wheel. Each bed had curtains to draw around it, and a personal storage space next to it. Everyone's luggage was piled at the foot of their bed. On the windowsills were pitchers of water in case somebody got thirsty, particularly at night. A stack of cups sat next to it.  
William looked around and saw that he and John had beds right next to each other. They both walked over to it and sat down. "Wow, this is nice," said John.  
"Yeah," William replied.  
"Hey, our beds are right next to each other, William!" cried Gangin, who had appeared right next to William.  
"Wicked," William said slowly, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He sat down on his bed and looked around at the other boys.  
"So, who is everybody here?" a short boy with jet black hair asked. "My name is Charles. Charles Wettingham."  
"I'm John Crafton," said John. "A muggleborn."  
William raised his hand. "William Astel, pure-blood. Mostly."  
"Gangin Longbottom, pure-blood," said Gangin.  
"Longbottom?" asked a tall, lanky boy with long blonde hair. "As in Professor Longbottom?"  
Gangin nodded. "Great-grandfather."  
"Sweet! I expect that means he'll give you good marks in Herbology?"  
"No," Gangin sighed. "He'll push me the hardest." The boy frowned and dropped his head.  
The boy smiled. "Well, anyway, I am Bartemus Blodder."  
"Sam Wetworth," said a boy with short brown hair and a burn mark on his cheek.  
"George O'brien," a tall muscular boy with tan skin and dark hair introduced.  
"Patrick Thames," a larger boy with rosy cheeks and a pudgy face muttered before sitting down on his bed.  
Everybody else introduced themselves, and there were three other boys named Connor Mcfinnin, Jackson Ellis, and Jerome Jefferson. Everyone in William's house and year seemed pretty nice, but he new that he would eventually make enemies. It was inevitable. Hopefully, however, most of his enemies would be in the other houses.  
A few moments later, the prefect who had led them all to their room peaked his head through the doorway. "You best be getting off to bed," he instructed. "A good night's sleep would benefit you all."  
The ten boys all nodded and quickly changed into their nightclothes and crawled into their warm beds. William drew the curtains around his bed and yawned right as the candles were extinguished. He was exhausted. The day had flown by so fast and it had been a wonderful day. Quickly, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

William woke at the sound of other people in the room bustling about. He pushed open his curtains and looked around with half-opened eyes. Everybody else was getting into clothes and getting ready for the morning. John was lying on his bed, looking at his schedule and organizing his books. William slipped out of bed and heaved his trunk up onto his mattress. He sorted through it and pulled out a pair of jeans and a striped polo shirt. Then he threw on his Gryffindor cloak over his everyday clothes.  
He pulled his schedule off of his bedside table and looked at it. It read:

**Wednesday-**

**9:00-Potions**  
**10:45-Transfiguration**  
**12:30-Lunch**  
**1:15-History of Magic**  
**3:00-Defense Against the Dark Arts**  
**Midnight:Astronomy**

"What?!" William exclaimed. "We have Astronomy at _midnight _on our first day of classes!"  
John looked over and William and rolled his eyes. "Really? Ugh, that's annoying. I want to sleep right now; how am I going to feel at midnight?"  
William shrugged and Gangin laughed. "I know how I'm going feel. Tired."  
A few of the nearby boys chuckled, while the others didn't hear it. William yawned again and then threw his books for the first four classes into a bag and then stood up. John joined him and they waited for a few minutes for everyone else in the room to get ready. Then they ten boys headed down into the common room. A few people were standing around, and a girl with straight brown hair and lots of freckles was standing near the entrance. The first-years, at a loss of which direction to go in for the Great Hall, walked up to the girl.  
"Could you please show us to the Great Hall?" asked Bartemus.  
The girl spun around, the annoyance clear on her face. "Do I look like a prefect to you?" she snapped. "No, I'm not. Find one to lead you around the castle. I have other things to be doing right now."  
Bartemus was shocked by her reaction, and William was angered by her. He glared at the girl as she shouldered her way past the group and plopped down onto a squashy armchair in a corner of the room.  
"What the heck?" complained William. "She has nothing better to be doing."  
The other boys muttered their agreement and awkwardly stood in the common room. A few minutes passed, and the prefect from the previous night appeared at the bottom of the stairs.  
"'Ello," he said. "Sorry, but I took a little longer than expected. I assume you need to get down to the Great Hall?"  
All ten boys nodded and he slipped between them and beckoned for the first years to follow him out of the tower. They shuffled, one by one, out of the porthole and into the drafty corridors of Hogwarts castle. The prefect lead them down several hallways before they reached a large atrium filled with staircases, moving staircases.  
"Now, the trick to getting up here from the rest of the castle is learning to navigate the stairs so you can get up here easily. Or you can just learn the back corridors, but this is a much more direct way. The first trick is to only get on stairs that just stopped right in front of you. If that section of the stair case has been there for a while, don't get on it. You do not want the stairs to move while you are on them and make you have to do a detour just to get up again. Also, there are some stairs that do not move, and those are marked usually by a weird design on the banister. Got it?"  
A little overwhelmed by the new information, the ten boys nodded and muttered quietly as the prefect nodded and took off towards the first set of stairs.  
It took about ten minutes to get down all the stairs, and they had no issues. The prefect seemed to know what he was doing. They stepped down a flight of steps into the Entrance Hall. A great chandelier hung above them, large and beautiful. Sunlight streamed through the huge stained glass windows and a breeze blew in from the ajar, great oak doors. Students lingered, speaking to each other or looking at parchment notebooks. A few teachers stood in a group, moving their hands animatedly, obviously arguing about something.  
The first years walked into the Great Hall. Four tables laden with breakfast foods stretched across the room, all pointing towards an intersecting table for the teachers. They quickly identified the Gryffindor table and hurried over there to secure seats. William and John sat next to each other, and Gangin plopped down next to William before anyone else could. The other boys sat around them and across from them.  
William piled bacon, sausage, and eggs onto his plate, while grabbing a piece of toast and smearing butter onto it. He tucked into his breakfast and listened to the discussion of the older students around them.  
"Did you hear Professor Malkhart fell off a cliff over the summer?" one girl said to her friend.  
"Is he okay, or did he die?" her friend replied, shock clear on her face.  
"He broke half the bones in his body and suffered from a bad concussion, but they got him to St. Mungo's pretty quickly. He won't be back for a while, though."  
Two boys across from the girls were placing bets on this teacher. "Sam, I bet you one galleon he'll be back before Christmas."  
"Ha!" snorted the other boy. "He fell off a cliff. He won't even be back by Easter. I doubt Malkhart will even teach this year, but you got yourself a deal!"  
They shook hands while the two girls glared at them. "That's so rude to place bets on a teacher who nearly _died_," they scolded.  
"If it isn't my cousin, William Astel!"  
William turned around and saw Gerald Weasley walking towards him with a few of his friends trailing behind. "Oh, hi, Jerry," William muttered. "I saw what happened on the train yesterday."  
Jerry laughed. "Yeah, luckily no one told the teachers, but I did get scolded by Samuel something awful. It was bad!"  
"What about Mary? How did she react to it after Samuel came?"  
"Oh, she started muttering about how it was all my fault, and he only told her to wait for a prefect or someone to come and handle the situation," Jerry replied. "At least he never told mother."  
William nodded and turned to Gangin and John. "These are my friends," he said. "Gangin Longbottom and John Crafton."  
"Pleasure," Jerry greeted, shaking each of their hands. "Ah, are you the son of Professor Longbottom?"  
"Nephew, but I am related to him," Gangin replied, blushing.  
Jerry nodded. "And I've never heard the name Crafton around Hogwarts," he said, looking at John.  
"Muggleborn," he replied. "So that's why."  
"Nice to see muggleborns around here. But beware, the Slytherins will take every opportunity to make your life miserable."  
"Thanks for the advice," responded John, smiling.  
"Have fun at class!" Jerry said, walking away.  
Somebody yelled and then a flurry of hooting filled the Great Hall. Nearly two hundred owls fluttered down from a window at the top of the roof and descended upon the students. Hedwig fluttered over William and dropped a red envelope in his lap. He tore it open and pulled out the slip of parchment.

_Dear William,_

_We are so glad you arrived at Hogwarts safely, and we were jubilant to hear you were sorted into Gryffindor! Congratulations! Good luck at your first classes and we hope to get a letter back soon._

_Love,_

_Mum and Dad_

William smiled and put the envelope into his pocket. He chattered to his friends and ate his breakfast for the next ten minutes, before a loud bell rang throughout the castle. Students started to get up and finish their breakfast; it was time for classes.  
"Potions," said William. He turned to look at John. "How do we get there?"  
John shrugged and no other first-year made any move to try and find it. William sighed. "Well, I guess we'll have to find it on our own."  
He set off with John and Gangin tailing behind him. They stopped in the Entrance Hall and looked around.  
"My uncle says it's in the dungeons," Gangin muttered. "So if we try there. . . "  
"Great thinking."  
The trio asked a nearby fourth-year for directions to the dungeons and set off. They clambered down a wide set of stairs and down into a labyrinth of corridors. They looked around and saw a couple of other first years walking down the corridor to their left and followed them. The dungeons seemed unless. William, John, and Neville climbed down several more stairs and the dungeon became increasingly darker and dankier. Water collected in small pools at their feet during some points, and there was little torch light. The air was humid, but cold, and it had the smell of rotten eggs.  
"We're lost," John huffed, slouching against a hall. "How long have we been down here?"  
William checked his watch. "Uh. . . seven minutes."  
John blinked. "Really, only seven?" He raised an eyebrow. "It feels like it's been an hour."  
"And we have three minutes to get to class."  
Gangin shook his head. "We aren't going to make it in time," he muttered. "I don't want to be expelled on the first day!"  
"We'll be expelled for this!?" John and William both cried.  
A door opened somewhere further down the hallway and the sound of shuffling feet echoed in the corridor.  
"Get in class," a quiet, cold voice muttered. "Hurry, or I'll report all of you for being late." He huffed. "First years."  
"That's our class!" exclaimed William. "Let's go!"  
The trio took off down the corridor and rounded the corner. A few torches sat in metal sconces on the walls, and a couple first years from Slytherin were slipping into the room. A tall man with barely any hair and a pointy noise stood, leaning against the door, scorning at the students as they trudged in. William's heart sank. He already disliked this teacher.  
Gangin arrived first. "Sir, don't close the door!" he cried.  
The professor looked at them. "You are late," he muttered. "But I'll make one exception."  
Thanking the professor, the three boys strode into the room and scoured the place for any available seats. Nearly forty pairs of eyes were looking at them, feeling pity and laughing at them at the same time.  
_Great, _William thought, looking at all the unfamiliar faces, _We're with Slytherin.  
_They only identified three open seats right in the front row. William groaned and plopped his books down in between the two other open chairs. The wooden table was rough and William feared he would get a splinter or two is he put his hands on it.  
"Good morning," the professor Drawled in a monotone voice.  
There were a few scattered replies from the students. The professor's lips curled. "Good morning," he repeated forcefully.  
Everyone sat up and said clearly and loudly, "Good morning, professor."  
"Much better," he muttered. "Anyway, I am Professor Venenum, the Potionsmaster here at Hogwarts School and head of Slytherin House, as the custom has been for many years. A few classroom rules: pay attention, or else you will likely fail, always bring your materials, never do anything dangerous that would endanger anyone around you, do not take anything from my stores without permission, do not make potions without my approval, never test these potions without consulting me first, do not talk back to me, and do not talk while I am speaking," he finished on a mad note, glaring at two Gryffindor girls chattering in the corner. The girls looked up with wide eyes and ceased talking immeadiately. "Anyway, I am sure you will pick up several more rules as we go deeper into our studies. Now, get out your cauldrons."  
William looked around and his eyes widened. He'd left his cauldron up in the Gryffindor common room. John and Gangin both had theirs. Why hadn't he realized it before hand? Professor Venenum was strolling around, making sure everyone had theirs. When he reached William, he narrowed his eyes. "Where is your cauldron?"  
"Professor, sir," William stammered, "I left it in my common room."  
"You left it in your common room?" inquired Venenum. "Were you not listening to the rules I just recited?"  
"No, I was, sir, but this morning I forgot to get in the midst of everything," explained William, gulping noisily.  
"What is your name?"  
"William. . . William Astel, sir." His voice was shaking.  
"William Astel? No doubt sister of Ginny Astel?"  
"Correct, sir."  
"Hmm," scoffed Venenum. "I'll let this slip _today _for two reasons; one, it is your first day and I am always lenient on the first day for first years, especially the first class. Two, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt because Ginny is your sister. I can't say I like her, but she is a good student and I hope you carry the same traits. Just don't forget it tomorrow."  
"Yes, sir," William replied. "Thank you, Professor."  
Venenum groaned and continued on down the table. William slouched in his chair and gave a loud sigh of relief. John nudged him with his elbow. "Lucky you," he muttered. Then he leaned in closer. "He said he is lenient to us on our first day. I am not looking forward to tomorrow."  
William smiled and chuckled, making sure not to draw attention to himself. About three minutes later, Venenum finished checking everyone for cauldrons and walked back up to stand behind his desk.  
"Now, put those away. We will not be needing them today. Hurry!" he snapped.  
There was a frantic bustle to stow the cauldrons away and then look back up at the professor.  
"Get out parchment." The students complied. "Now, today we shall be learning about the types of potions. They are," he turned to face the chalkboard and began to write, "brews, concoctions, draughts or drafts, elixirs, philtres, poisons, tinctures, and creran. Now, before we get into the other topics, a creran is an _extremely_ complex potion that allows the maker to create its own sort of organism out of many materials. It is considered dark magic and strictly forbidden by the Ministry except for your seventh year, where we create a small creature of our own design. However, many things created during a creran die shortly thereafter, and it is nigh on impossible to produce one that can reproduce. I would not suggest trying to.  
"Now, the Ministry puts a check on all creatures created by a creran and describes the ingredients used to create it. If you make it to my class, they will be here to record it. Also, if one is to survive, they confiscate the result of the experiment and turn it over to the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. So, do not make something you will grow attached to, because it will be taken away. And if I catch any of you attempting a creran without permission from myself and the Minister of Magic himself, you will be expelled. Immediately."  
William scribbled down the notes and decided to ask his father if he had ever had any involvement with a creran. It was quite an interesting topic. He continued to write notes as Venenum drifted away from crerans and towards the other potions, but less enthusiastically. The topic of the creran was so dangerously intriguing to William that he felt he would make a dreadful mistake if he were to attempt one.  
Class dragged on slowly until the loud bell rang twice in the bell tower of Hogwarts. The students started to stand up and collect their things, ready to head to the next class. Venenum, scowling, scanned the classroom. "Make sure to bring your cauldrons tomorrow," he muttered. "We will be making a simple brew tomorrow, so be prepared."  
Sliding his bag onto his shoulder, William and John walked out of the classroom and joined the throng of first years heading in the direction of the Great Hall.  
"That Venenum," John said, "he's a bit cold."  
"No kidding," replied William. "Extremely. I was terrified."  
"You were lucky," somebody said.  
Both boys turned around and saw Angela Wood right behind them. "I would never pull something off like that. You could have gotten a detention!" she continued.  
"Buzz off, Angela," snarled John. "If you are gonna butt in on our conversations, you shouldn't be so rude."  
Angela narrowed her eyes and then stalked ahead of the duo. John watched her go.  
"Well, I'm not looking forward to tomorrow," he stated. "That was boring." John stretched his arms and yawned loudly.  
William raised his eyebrows and followed the other Gryffindors as they headed towards Transfiguration.

**Note:**

This chapter was originally going to be about the classes before lunch, but I decided that would be much too long to do since I have been keeping you waiting, so I just decided to make it the first class. The next chapter will be a bit longer and will cover the rest of the day. Afterwards is Quidditch time!

Thanks for reading and please Review and hopefully follow!


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